


I will look for you, I will find you and I will kill Figgis

by WakeUpAndSmellTheCoffee



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Amy Santiago Loves Jake Peralta, Angst, Anxious Amy Santiago, BAMF Amy Santiago, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s04e03 Coral Palms Pt. 3, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Hostage Situations, Hurt Jake Peralta, Hurt/Comfort, Jake Peralta Loves Amy Santiago, Rosa Diaz is a Good Friend, some blood and violence, the rest of the gang make brief appearances - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:26:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22165603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WakeUpAndSmellTheCoffee/pseuds/WakeUpAndSmellTheCoffee
Summary: Figgis manages to escape the Fun Zone with Jake as a hostage. What lengths will Amy and Jake go to to keep each other safe? And will they ever see each other again?Title is a tweaked quote from the movie Taken.
Relationships: Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago, Rosa Diaz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) & Amy Santiago
Comments: 30
Kudos: 176





	1. Drop The Gun Sweetie

**Author's Note:**

> This story starts towards the end of S04E03 but you'll be able to tell where it picks up from when you start reading. Hope you enjoy!

“You’re scrambling.” Jake tried to convince himself even though they both knew he was wrong. First, Figgis had come up with that cool name and then the thought-out escape plan which seemed to take no thought. Jake felt the gun behind him and knew he was in trouble. Luckily for him Figgis didn’t know he was coming up against someone who didn’t put any thought into a lot of things and made tonnes of spur of the moment decisions. Like the time he had borrowed a set of Rosa’s throwing stars and Amy had said it was a terrible idea for him to take them home and use his old NSYNC poster as a target. He’d burst a pipe in the wall and slept on a soggy mattress for weeks. Sooo yes Amy was right, and yes, he did have a poster of NSYNC hanging above his bed. But neither of those facts were the point right now. The point was, he was Detective Jake Peralta of the 99, and he could not only come up with an idea for anything, he would try it too. 

~B99~ 

Amy was starting to get worried. The team had subdued all of Figgis’ guys in the arcade but Figgis was yet to be captured and she hadn’t seen Jake for a while. She kept glancing at the doorway willing him to appear and say something clever. Well, something that he thought was clever anyway. She was about to tell Rosa of her plan to head out and scope the outer perimeter when a cop from the sheriffs office entered. In a misguided sense of right-doing he got them all to lower their weapons and raise their hands above their heads. As none of them were willing to shoot the innocent man or get themselves shot they complied. When the team all had their hands on their heads everyone started talking at once trying to explain the situation.

“Quiet!” The officer yelled, gun still drawn and pointed at them.

“Please – sir,” Amy was never beyond a little sucking up. “My partner is still out there and he needs our help. He needs back up. I am begging you – let me go after him.” Her voice cracked on the last plea as she tried to hold in her frustration and anxiety.

“And help him do what exactly?”

“Look, we told you we’re NYPD”. Terry interjected unsure whether Amy was about to bite the guys head off in a fit of rage or have a panic attack. When Amy’s emotions were heightened she could go either way. Add Jake into the mix and Terry couldn’t even begin to guess the extent of what she must be feeling.

“Yeah right,” came the reply as their intentions were still doubted.

“I can prove it. Look up Brooklyn detective attacked by birds and you’ll see an article with a photo of me.” Boyle tried another angle.

Rosa leaned over so she could whisper to Amy. 

“I’m going to give you a window and you’re going to go after Jake.” 

They shared a brief moment of eye contact where Amy could see concern for Jake mirrored back at her and it frightened her to think someone else was worried as well. It gave her fears validation. They were no longer her own exaggerated thoughts. Then, the moment passed and just as quick Rosa had the cop face down on the floor.

Amy had never sprinted so fast in her life – except for that one time when she was running late for a new pen launch at her favourite stationary shop due to Jake not being able to decide what sneakers to wear. She had to leave him behind in the end. When Amy made it back to his apartment he’d exploded a tin of spaghetti in the microwave after failing to put it in a heat proof bowl. And while Jake was a thousand times a better detective than he was a cook, she was not leaving him on his own today.

~B99~

Figgis slowly weaved him through the mini golf holes and towards the car park. As they walked, Jake tried to come up with a brilliant idea to get out of this situation and back to the rest of the crew. If only that idiot Sheriff hadn’t made him put his gun down. Was it terrible to think of him as an idiot when he had just been shot? Jake wondered if anyone had found the lawman yet. If they had, at least he’d be able to tell them what happened. Provided he was still awake, Jake soberly thought. Anyway, the fact remained that his options were limited when Figgis had a weapon and he didn’t. Unless he just used his body as the weapon. He could headbutt Figgis and run. Or knock the gun out of his hand with a roundhouse kick. Or grab him by the wrist and flip him over his shoulder. 

And while Jake was absolutely 100% confident he could have performed any of these manoeuvres there was something stopping him from being as reckless as he normally would be. It had been so long since he’d seen Amy, touched her face, stroked her hair or felt her lips on his. He couldn’t bear the thought of doing something stupid and leaving things in the weird out of sync state they were currently in. Plus, he’d never loved someone so much that he worried about what would happen to them if he died. He knew people would grieve for him but there had never been someone whom he thought would be majorly affected by his death. Well, maybe Boyle.

~B99~

Amy pulled her sprint back to a fast jog as she reminded herself to remain focused, cautious and ready for anything. And as if a reward for her new approach she sensed someone advancing from behind and turned with her gun drawn to face the threat. One of Figgis’ men was standing 20 paces away, also with his gun drawn. She tried not to think about how close he would have been to firing.

“Drop the gun.” They both yelled simultaneously.

Neither flinched.

“Drop the gun sweetie, before you hurt yourself.” Her opponent snarled.

Amy let the indignation wash over her and decided to use his out-dated idiocy against him. She let a look pass over her face that hopefully read as resignation.

“Ok. Ok. You’re right. Please – don’t hurt me.” She had no idea if she was laying it on too thick or not but he seemed to be picking up what she was putting down. And that wouldn’t be her gun. She hid a smile as she thought about how much Jake had rubbed off on her. Though, he would have thought of a better pun and most likely would have said it out loud in the most inappropriate moment possible.

She lifted her hands up in the air with the gun face down to show him it was non-threatening. She looked him right in the eye as she bent to place the gun on the ground. He followed her with his weapon. Amy hoped that she hadn’t gone insane and was about to get herself killed. She got onto her knees and began to bring her arms down to place the gun in front of her. It’s now or never Ames, she thought as she squeezed the trigger.

The recoil felt strange holding the gun upside down but it fired nonetheless and got Figgis’ guy in the stomach. She sprung up from her position and kicked his gun out of reach. 

“Don’t get up sweetie. Wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself further.” She said as she stood over him. This time Amy let him see her smile as she again mentally thanked Jake and his idiotic moves for rubbing off on her. She couldn’t wait to tell him that she had used that move in real life. He’d be so upset he didn’t get to see it. If only to see how stupid it actually looked.

She radioed in to the 99 after cuffing the crook’s hands together where he lay on the ground. She didn’t want to waste time on a better cuff job when he seemed pretty out of it anyway. “Perp down near hole 12. He may need some better restraints but he’s not going anywhere in a hurry.” As an afterthought she added, “He’ll probably need an ambulance as well.” Then she picked up his gun and popped it in her waistband before continuing her search for Jake. 

This place wasn’t that big so why couldn’t she find him? Her panic was back now that the adrenaline from her encounter had fully warn off. She was weaving her way through hole 14 when she heard the worst sound imaginable. A gun shot. Her body went into auto-pilot and she ran in the direction of the noise. Amy realised she was headed towards the car park and prayed that it was Jake who got the round off. An image of him shot and in the trunk of Figgis’ car slipped into her mind and she fought to replace it with one of Figgis in handcuffs. With a black eye. Maybe a couple of teeth knocked out. 

As Amy reached the last building before the parking lot, she heard a set of tyres screeching, possibly two sets. She forced her legs to move even faster. Her panic had met her adrenaline and they worked in tangent to push her round the corner. When she caught sight of the carpark the first thing she noticed was a peppermint green truck stopped in the middle. A quick scan of the area for any threats let her eyes fall upon something that made her adrenaline spike so hard she could hear blood rushing in her ears. On the ground, next to the truck, was a body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for taking the time to read my story! I have an outline written for 4 chapters which just need to be edited so I should be able to get them out soon. Any comments very welcome :) Hope you have a wonderful day / night wherever you are in the world!


	2. I Nearly Hit Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why is there a body in the parking lot? What exactly happened before Amy arrived? You're about to find out!

Amy could see Boyle and Rosa in her peripheral vision as they reached the carpark on either side of her. The knowledge that they were both there made her feel stronger and helped her to begin what seemed to be a million steps between her and the body she hadn’t taken her eyes off. The closer she got the more she had to tell herself to breathe, to force the air in and out of her lungs. 

Soon she saw the body was in a suit, then she noticed the hair was too long to be Jake’s, the shoes were wrong, the hands were wrong. But the only thing that would let her breathe naturally again was seeing the face of the man lying on the ground and knowing with absolute certainty that it was not Jake. She paused just before she reached the body, still calculating the possibility that it could be her partner, wanting to savor a world where he was still alive if that was him in front of her. After the deepest breath in she could muster, Amy looked down and had never been more relieved to not see Jake. 

She had been so singularly focused that she didn’t even notice Rosa and Boyle were still beside her, wearing matching looks of relief on their own faces. Boyle bent down to check for a pulse and shook his head as an answer to his findings.

“We still need to check out the truck.” Rosa steered them back into detective gear and the three of them approached the cab.

“Gina?” Amy questioned as she approached the side window and saw her friend in the driver’s seat.

Gina’s hands were still gripping the wheel and she was looking ahead with wide eyes. Beside her was the Captain, looking equally as shocked – according to Amy’s keen eye. Gina’s window was down so she pulled herself up beside it as neither occupant looked like they’d be getting out of the vehicle any time soon.

“Gina. Captain Holt. Are you OK? What are you doing here? Where did this truck come from?” Amy barely gave them time to answer before launching into more questions which she couldn’t seem to stop rolling from her mouth. “Have you seen Jake? Did he come out this way? What happened?”

Gina held her position, hands on the wheel, eyes forward as she replied.

“I nearly hit him Amy… I – I nearly hit him.”

“Oh, Gina. I’m sorry but I think you did hit someone. We found one of Figgis’ guys in front of the truck.”

At this news the office assistant finally looked over at Amy, though her fingers remained tight on the wheel.

“That’s not what I meant Amy… I was talking about Jake. I – I nearly hit J-Jake.”

Amy nearly fell backwards off the step she had purchased herself on.

“What?! What do you mean by nearly? What does nearly mean? Captain? Someone tell me what nearly means?”

Rosa and Boyle were getting ready to pull Amy back if necessary as she looked like she might reach through the window in order to shake the answer out of Gina. Seeing the normally non-stop diva at a loss for words was very disconcerting and only served to heighten everyone’s worry. 

“Sir?” Amy tried to start off gentle again but failed by the second word. “Captain? So help me god if someone doesn’t tell me what happened in the next second I am going to – ”

“We saw Figgis getting into a car as we were approaching and thought we could stop him from escaping,” the Captain began the explain, “but in the last moment we saw Peralta behind the steering wheel and diverted our trajectory to avoid the intended collision.”

“So you didn’t hit them?”

“No, but it meant that we – ” Captain Holt stopped to clear his throat. “It meant that we let them get away. I’m so sorry Santiago. I will do everything in my power to get him back. I promise you that.” 

“Oh god.” Amy slumped back down off the foothold and sat on it instead. “Oh god – they’re gone. I was too late. They could be headed anywhere. He could be – he could be – ” 

Her sentence was interrupted by a stinging sensation across her left cheek. She looked up indignantly. Rosa had slapped her.

“Get it together man. Jake needs us. He needs you. He needs you to be a detective so we can find him.” Rosa paused and decided that was enough tough love. Time for honesty. She knelt down next to Amy and took a breath in. “I know you’re scared. I’m scared too. So let’s get up and work this together and maybe we’ll be a little less scared knowing we’re doing everything we can.”

Amy blinked and a few tears fell as she nodded. Rosa gave her shoulder a squeeze, then stepped away to give her friend some time to compose herself. Amy was using both hands to wipe her eyes clear when another slap echoed around the parking lot. Rosa was trying the same tactic on Boyle.

~B99~

They had entered the car park and almost reached what Jake assumed to be Figgis’ car judging by the expensive douchebag look it had to it. He had still not come up with a single decent plan and was hoping that one of his world famous epiphanies would come to him soon. Well, maybe they were more precinct famous if he was being honest. OK one time Amy said she loved his epiphany face and told him it made her more aroused than the time he’d offered to quiz her on his Mum. 

Just when Jake’s thoughts began to derail in a way that would not help the situation at all, a gun shot rang through the air and stirred him out of them. He and Figgis both startled as the Fun Zone had been quiet for some time now. A fact which Jake had hoped meant the other crooks had been captured by the 99. He forced himself not to dwell on the cause and outcome of the shot, instead attempting to use it to his advantage. He used the momentary distraction to twist around and make a play for the gun behind him. 

He reached up with both hands to grab Figgis’ wrist and attempted to pry the gun from his grip. He struggled to not only do that, but to keep it pointed away from his own body as well. As the equally matched pair fought for control, Jake knew he needed to make another move soon if the result of the tussle was going to be in his favor. Then, as if the heavens had sent another opportunity his way, Figgis’ grip slackened slightly, and Jake was finally able to take the gun. With great pleasure he raised the weapon so it was aimed right between the mobsters eyes.

“Gotcha” He puffed out.

Figgis just stared at him, looking disturbingly calm. The edges of a maniacal smile were pulling at his face.

“Go ahead. Pull the trigger Peralta. We both know you’re not capable.”

“You’re right. I’m not. Not like this. But what I am capable of is sending you to a maximum security prison for the rest of your life. I hear there’s a nice one right here in Florida that – ”

Jake was unable to finish his sentence as a searing pain tore through his right thigh and his ears began to ring. He started to wobble on the spot but someone behind him put an arm around his neck holding him still and the warm barrel of a gun to his temple to keep him that way. All Figgis had to do was reach forward and take the gun from his weakened grip.

“Next time maybe you’ll have the guts to shoot me. But I doubt it.” That wicked grin spread from the corners of The Butcher’s mouth until it covered his face. He had crept forward as he taunted Jake, getting so close that the detective could feel his breath – using not only his words but his proximity to prove that he had the power. 

Figgis held that position for a beat, relishing in the moment.

“Oh” Figgis exclaimed in mock forgetfulness as he returned to his previous position. “I haven’t even introduced you. Where are my manners? You have a right to the name of the person who shot you after all. Only fair. This is Colin, my driver. Well that’s his official job description anyway. He’s useful for a quick getaway. Or surprising a cocky idiot who thinks he has the upper hand. Let’s face it Jakey, you’ll never have the upper hand with me.” 

Jake was finding it hard to focus as he fully realized his situation. He could feel wetness pouring down his right leg and a pounding heartbeat not in his chest but in his thigh. He tried to shift his weight further onto his left leg but when he moved Colin pressed the barrel of the gun against his temple in a warning. His right leg wouldn’t be able to hold him up much longer. When that happened he’d be in even more trouble. He was starting to sweat from the effort of standing and feel nauseous from the unrelieved pain. He just needed to put some pressure on the wound or, at least, sit down. Nevertheless, he tried to give Figgis his best defiant look as he attempted to counter his smug speech. 

“My team will be coming for you. They’ll have heard the shot. You’ve got seconds before they descend upon you.” Jake made a threat with the only leverage he had left. He knew he was currently helpless, but the 99 were anything but. 

“Yes, well, no time to waste then is there. Colin, put him in the car. Driver’s seat. I’m sure he has some handcuffs on him. Tether him to the wheel. Then you stay here and take care of the rest.” Figgis looked at Jake to savor the broken look on his face as he ordered Colin to eliminate his friends. 

“Yes boss.” Colin followed his orders and began to push Jake towards the car.

Each step was excruciating. The hand around his neck had moved to his mouth to stop him from screaming out loud and the gun was moving him along like a cattle prod in his back. He tried to breathe hard through his nose but he wasn’t getting the big gulps of air he needed, making him feel dizzy. When they reached the car, Figgis had already opened the door and Colin shoved him in with little concern for comfort. Jake looked to his right where Figgis was already seated with a gun pointed at him. Colin placed his own on the roof when he was sure that Figgis had control and proceeded to look for the detective’s handcuffs. Jake screamed when the man rummaged through his right pocket, brushing across the wound on his thigh.

“Shut it Peralta and put your hands on the wheel.”

“Do you really expect me to be able to drive?” Jake raised his hands to the wheel and Colin cuffed his left one to it. 

“I could just shoot you now?” Figgis offered.

“Well let’s hit the open road then shall we? Driver picks the music?” Jake avoided thinking about being shot again. “And what is it they say? Two people is a casual drive but three people make it a road trip. Why doesn’t Colin come with us? You know he won’t get away if he stays.” Jake tried to do the only thing left he could think of. Keep his friends safe. 

Figgis leaned over to him and whispered so Colin, who had now shut Jake’s door and was standing beside the car, couldn’t hear. “Of course I know that, but my men are just as loyal as yours and they follow my orders like good soldiers.” The Butcher hovered a hand over his captive’s thigh enjoying the anticipation of causing further pain to the man who had ruined so much of his operation. He looked at Jake’s face, scrunched in pain, as he finally lowered his hand and pressed on the bullet wound. “Now let’s get moving.” 

Jake was about to turn the key in the ignition when he heard another vehicle approaching. The detective gulped – the noise the vehicle was making sounded very much like a truck. He looked up to confirm his hunch and saw the huge vehicle speeding towards them, coming at them head on. With renewed haste he continued to turn the key but the car wouldn’t start on the first go.

“Bloody expensive car should start the first time.” He mumbled.

The truck was ridiculously close now and Jake froze. He couldn’t breathe. Just sat there looking up at the approaching apparatus of his death. He braced himself for the impact, adrenaline now so high that he couldn’t even feel the pain in his leg anymore. Looking equally as stunned, Figgis reached for the door-handle to escape. At what felt like the last second the truck veered and hit a running Colin before it abruptly stopped, leaving the occupants of the car unscathed. 

With little concern for his colleague, Figgis shut the passenger door and wagged the gun at Jake who took the signal to start the engine and drive. At the exit of the car park with the indicator on and ready to turn onto the road, the detective chanced a look in the rear-view mirror. His heart clenched as he saw a tiny Amy in the distance running into the parking lot. Jake smiled knowing that she was alive and chasing after him. She was, after all, the best detective he knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for giving my story a go, I hope you like it so far :)


	3. A Dangerous Criminal With A Hostage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amy and Rosa try to find Jake before he does anything stupid. Everyone is a bad ass.

“NYPD. I need Harold Stanley’s bed number now.” Amy flashed her badge to greet the nurse as they entered the ED. 

“I’m sorry – I don’t think he’s quite ready for visitors yet.” The nurse replied pleasantly, unphased by Amy’s direct attitude.

“You don’t think he’s ready? Well how about you double check and make sure. That man knows where a dangerous criminal with a hostage is headed and if anything happens to that hostage I will file a complaint against you for impeding an investigation and killing a hostage. So if I were you, I’d go find out for sure if Mr. Stanley is able to have visitors or not and I’ll be out of your hair.”

The nurse held eye contact with Amy for a few seconds and then sauntered off to see what he could find out. Amy waited for him to disappear before losing her detective stance and slumping both elbows down on the reception desk with her head in her hands. 

“Wow. Amy you just said the word hostage a lot.” Rosa commented.

“I know. I just – I think that if I used any other word or – or said his name I would have faltered or cried or completely lost it and I was trying to sound authoritative.” She said into her hands.

“Well it sounded bad-ass to me.”

“Thanks Rosa.”

The nurse had only been gone a few seconds, but Amy was already getting antsy. She stretched up from her position and started pacing. Every moment she was doing nothing Jake was getting further away from her. She needed to focus on something else or the waiting was going to drive her mad.

“How’s Holt and Gina?”

“Boyle said Holt did a good job sewing up his own leg and Gina is still in a bit of shock but they’re both doing OK.”

“Right.” She nodded. “That’s good.” She felt guilty for not being able to muster up any more enthusiasm.

“Jake will be OK Amy.” Rosa didn’t need to be a genius to guess where Amy’s head was at. “He can take care of himself. He’s probably concocting a clever plan as we speak.”

Amy stopped in her tracks.

“That’s what I’m afraid of. His plans tend to have very little value for his own personal safety. I bet he’s more concerned about taking Figgis down in some spectacular move than he is about himself.” She took a breath, stepped closer to Rosa, mimicked her position with an elbow on the counter and looked up at her. In a whisper she uttered her biggest concern. “There was a gunshot in the car park before we got there. Figgis’ guy wasn’t shot. And Terry found Jake’s g-gun over n-near the Sheriff so w-we know it wasn’t his and – ”

“Hey.” Rosa grabbed her shoulders in a surprisingly gentle grip. It was as close to an affectionate hug as they had probably ever been. “Don’t go down that road. Focus on the things we can do. Like interrogate this asshole until he gives us some good intel on where they could be heading.”

At that moment the nurse came back and Amy, pleased with something to do, put her game face back on. 

“You can see him. But just for a couple of minutes.”

“Oh, that’s all I’ll need.” Amy said in a tone that even Rosa found chilling.

The nurse looked slightly concerned but gave them the bed number anyway.

Amy was down the hall and at the cubicle so quick that Rosa only just had time to squeeze into the room before the curtains were pulled shut on her. After her mad rush down the hall and the frantic way she had pulled the curtains closed, Amy was now still, staring at the man in the bed. The man who might know where Jake is. The sight of him built her anger and she did nothing to stop it rising. She could use if for what she was about to do. May Holt have mercy on her, but this was for Jake and she’d break any rules for him when he was in danger. 

She revealed the scalpel in her hand, stolen off a tray in the hallway, and strode over to Harold where he lay on the bed. Nerves made her grip on the handle so tight she could feel nails digging into her palm. The pressure made her hands start to shake and Amy willed them to stop as she raised the blade up to his neck. Rosa took a step forward, then halted, and made no further attempt to get closer.

“Alright, listen up buddy. Your boss has my partner and unluckily for you I only have a few minutes to get what I need. So, you can either tell me where they are, or you can die with the shame of being shot and stabbed by the same girl on the same day.”

Amy didn’t flinch as he scrutinised her, unsure if her threat was real. Too many precious seconds were passing so Amy decided to prove she wasn’t backing down. She pushed the blade across his throat to release a little blood, slowly moving it further and further towards his Adam’s apple. 

“OK OK. I’ll tell you what I know but it isn’t much. He’ll head for the airport, he’s got a fake ID. I don’t know what name it is or where he’ll go.” Amy continued to hold his gaze (and the blade) in the hopes that he would continue to spill information. “He – he umm usually switches cars. Probably at a gas station when someone heads in to pay.”

He looked at her expectantly hoping that was enough.

“If any, and I mean any, of this information turns out to be wrong I’ll be back here so quick you’ll think I sped here even though I’ll be driving the speed limit as it is there for a reason.”

She held the scalpel a moment longer in case he wanted to add or retract anything. When he made no move to speak, she slowly removed it and stalked out of the room. Rosa followed her from the cubicle to the car Holt had somehow managed to get them.

“Wow dude. That was amazing.” Rosa praised.

“Yeah. Well. It was lucky we only had a few minutes. I think I only had one good threat in me.”

As they jumped in the car Rosa noticed Amy’s hands were shaking again. She reached over to clasp one in her own. 

“You did it for Jake. We have the information we need to go after him now. That’s all because of you.”

“Thanks. I know. I think it’s just adrenaline. I don’t do a lot of, umm, rule breaking – I’m sure you’re aware – so I guess it’s just, I don’t know, my body responding to it.…” She paused for a moment, shook her hands out and re-focused her energy. “But enough of that. Let’s go get Jake back.”

~B99~

Jake’s hand gripped the wheel as he tried to focus on driving. His thoughts were jumping everywhere. The pain in his leg. Amy. The gun in his face. The throbbing behind his eyes. Amy. The blood had stopped running down his leg so at least it hadn’t hit an artery but it was starting to dry and itch now. His right calf was covered in the red liquid and his shorts were sticking to the wound which aggravated the pain. He’d been shot and he wasn’t even in a situation where he could bask in how cool that was. But maybe he could use it to his advantage.

“So Figgis – we’re a fair distance into our road trip and as of yet the driver has not been able to pick any music. Probably a good decision by you – I was feeling ready for a Tay Tay sing a long session. She’s great. No regrets. But seen as you dodged the bullet on that one, any way we could do something about mine? My bullet wound I mean. Man, have I lost so much blood my puns aren’t even good now? Doesn’t matter. What matters is that my leg is covered in blood and if you still mean to switch cars at a gas station we should look less conspicuous. Let me pull over. Clean my leg up a bit.” 

Jake was the one scrambling now. Any way he could delay their approach to the airport would help Amy and the gang catch up to them. Beside him Figgis chuckled.

“Oh Jakey my boy. I’ll be switching cars at the gas station, that’s correct. But you won’t be.”

Jake shuddered at the implication.

~B99~

Amy had mapped out every single route from the Fun Zone to the airport and sent officers in every direction. She and Rosa had taken the route which was closest to the hospital as they left. Every time someone radioed in with an update her chest tightened with apprehension, dread, hope. It was a mess of emotions in there. Beside her in the car Rosa was as still and silent as ever. Amy sensed she was on edge as well though. Something about her posture looked stiff and awkward and Rosa was never awkward.

Captain Holt had refused to lay idle in a hospital bed and had taken on the task of sending a BOLO to the airport warning them of Figgis’ arrival. He had also made it his personal mission to contact every single gas station he could find on the potential routes. He gave them a description of Figgis, Jake and the car they were currently in, along with instructions not to do anything heroic or stupid. Instructions he wished he could give to Jake as well. 

Boyle kept radioing in every 5 minutes to ask if anyone had found Jake yet. It was like a child asking if they were there yet only Amy couldn’t turn to the back seat and tell him to shut up. She knew he was worried, but it was driving her bananas. Eventually Rosa picked up the radio and told him to keep the air clear unless he had any actual information. 

“Thanks Rosa.” Amy said for what felt like the millionth time today. “If you keep this up I’m going to have to make that my personal catchphrase.”

Rosa looked at her through the sides of her eyes.

“Well if Jake can have one so can I.” Amy shrugged.

“To be fair most of his are just quotations from movies.”

“Then I’m way ahead of him in the original department.”

The two detectives smiled and let the car fall back into silence as they wallowed in how quickly the conversation had turned to Jake.

“It’s my fault this is happening.” Amy was glad she was driving and could look ahead at the road instead of at Rosa. “I was so focused on the body in the parking lot I didn’t – I didn’t notice the car driving away. I could have shot the tyres out or-or jumped in the van and gone after them.” She let out a sad chuckle as she realised the ironic truth of the situation. “My concern for Jake is exactly what stopped me from saving him and I feel so stupid. How could I have let that happen?” 

“Don’t think like that Amy. We were all there. Boyle and I could have done those things as well and we messed up just as much as you did.”

“Oh. So no telling me I didn’t mess up then?” 

“That’s not what you need right now.”

“It isn’t?”

“No. You need to keep your head in the game and focused on finding Jake. Not letting yourself be consumed with worry or blame. And the best way to do that is to accept what’s happened, eyes on the road, drive in silence.”

“Oh, umm, OK. Yeah. Yeah I can do that.” Amy began to mumble instructions to herself. “Refocusing my energy… Eyes on the road…..”

“I don’t need a running commentary.”

“Right – sure. Sorry.”

“Don’t need your apologies either Santiago.”

“And I don’t need you to tell me what to do and let me sit in the blame! But here we are!” Amy snapped. She shocked herself with her reaction and immediately tried to reign it in and apologise. “Oh my god, I’m sorry Rosa. I don’t know where that came from.”

“Go with it.” Rosa’s eyes looked wild but encouraging.

Amy wondered if her partner was serious for a moment before she remembered that it was Rosa she was dealing with. Plus, if she was being honest, it had felt good to let it a bit of her stress out.

“Well, I – I don’t think I can accept what’s happened and move on without blinking an eye like you. I keep seeing that body on the ground – the way I saw it when I first looked at it and it makes me sick to think Figgis would leave his own man like that. I mean if that’s the case I can only imagine what sort of state he’s planning on leaving Jake in. And that’s all I can do – imagine what’s happening to Jake every second we’re not with him. If that bastard has done anything to harm him I swear I’m going to rip his throat out. This is all his fault and I can’t wait to be the one that catches him and wipes that stupid smirk off his dumb face.” Amy worked herself up so much that her whole body felt tense and her knuckles were white where they curled around the steering wheel.

“I knew you’d get there.” Rosa deadpanned. 

“Huh?”

“Well I knew if I told you it wasn’t your fault you wouldn’t believe me. You had to come to that conclusion yourself.”

Amy blinked a few times as she realised she’d been played. Rosa was right – on two accounts. She wouldn’t have listened, and, this wasn’t her fault. It was Jimmy Figgis’. 

“Damn Rosa. You are good.” 

“Well anger usually works for me so…..” Rosa trailed off. “And for the record I haven’t just accepted what’s happened and moved on. I’ve accepted that it’s happened, and that Figgis needs to pay.”

Amy looked guiltily over at Rosa and offered her a small smile, happy to know they were on the same page. Not wanting to keep the silence for too long, Amy tried to lighten the mood and ease the awkwardness she was still feeling.

“Well I do have a catchphrase for a reason.” 

“Please don’t make that your catchphrase.”

“Too late. Already locked in.” She replied playfully. “But seriously Rosa, if it wasn’t for you I would be an absolute mess right now – so thanks. You’re a good friend Diaz.” She tried for a light punch on the arm but missed and nearly swerved off the road. 

“On second thoughts, maybe just stick to the catchphrase.” Rosa noted.

“I think that’s a good idea.” Santiago agreed, grateful that she had such a wonderful friend. She knew her brain would tick back to worry-panic-anxiety-anger any second, but Rosa would be there for her when it did. 

~B99~

“I thought the plan was to kill me at the airport?”

“Plans change son. You’re a liability now.” Figgis stated as if he were making a decision on a business deal. “I think it was worth it though. Wouldn’t have been as fun to just shoot you quietly and been done with it.”

“Don’t call me that.” Jake got out through gritted teeth.

“What – a liability? Hit a nerve, did I? Afraid of always letting the Captain down are we Jakey? Being a burden on your friends?”

“No – not that. Don’t call me son.” Jake had never felt like that word had much meaning until he meant Captain Holt. With him, it was as if it were a rank he’d earned from the older man and he felt a surge of pride whenever it was used. Not that it had been used frequently – but that made it all the more special to him.

“That was your problem with what I just said?” Figgis chuckled. “You really are an idiot Peralta.”

“An idiot that brought down half your operation. So what does that make you?” Jake quipped.

The mobster’s laugh stopped abruptly. Suddenly he was leaping at Jake – one hand grabbing behind his neck and the other pressing the muzzle of the gun into his leg wound. A new wave of blood flowed out of his thigh with a new wave of pain. Jake wanted to collapse in on himself but the hand behind his head kept him up.

“You might think you’re smart Peralta.” He twisted the gun and Jake was finding it hard not to squirm and crash the car. “But you are a tiny amoeba fighting against a whale and you’ll never win the battle. It’s people like me that rule this world Jake, not pathetic boys playing at being big-shot detectives.”

Jake’s vision was becoming hazy as he struggled through the agony that was spreading through his body. He told his brain to keep his eyes open and on the road, but his synapses were firing with so many pain signals that the message was hard to get through. He realised he was holding his breath in concentration and heaved in some air just as Figgis twisted the gun again and triggered a new round of suffering.

“Whatever you – need to say – to – convince yourself” Jake got out between breaths.

Figgis didn’t reply for a moment. He stared up at Jake and revelled in watching him writhe before him. When he was ready to speak, he pulled the gun and his hand back and relaxed into his seat as if he had already won the argument.

“I don’t need to convince myself son. I’m the one with the power here and soon you’ll be dead. So you can fight all you want Peralta but it won’t change the outcome.”

Jake was blinking rapidly as he continued to fight back tears of pain. But it was getting harder as the tears were becoming more than that. He was starting to get scared. He was going to die unless he found a way out of this. And he could see no way out. There was no way he could make a run for it without getting caught in the condition he was in. He couldn’t see a way to get a message to the 99. He needed to face it. He was trapped in the car he was going to die in. 

As the throbs of pain began to fade, it dawned on Jake that he had one move left. Figgis was right – Jake needed to accept that he couldn’t change his outcome. But he could change the outcome for so many other people. For his friends, for any one Figgis had wronged or murdered. Jake had been reluctant to do anything drastic so far for fear of hurting Amy but this one move would protect her and the 99 from Figgis for good. Jake took a shaky breath in as he made up his mind. He was going to take the power back.

“It doesn’t have to Figgis. And that’s something you’ll never understand. I know I’m probably going to die here in this car but there are other things I can fight for.”

He pressed down on the accelerator and the car launched into action as he held his foot down against the floor. Jake felt mad. His leg was throbbing, but he held the accelerator down as the car gained in speed. Figgis was looking at him like he’d lost his mind.

“Peralta! Stop this! Stop this or I’ll shoot you right here and now!” Figgis practically screamed at him. His face was contorted in rage and he was flapping the gun about with his threats.

“Go ahead Figgis. Shoot me. Then we can both go down together.” Jake let out a ridiculous chuckle and wished someone was there to witness his totally bad ass reply. 

He swallowed his nerves and pushed through all the pain and adrenaline and readied himself for what he was about to do. He could hear Figgis still screaming at him, but it was as if he were hearing it through glass and Jake ignored it. He thought about the 99 being safe. He thought about Captain Dad. He thought about Boyle and Rosa and Gina and Terry and all the antics they could still get up to in the precinct. He let his final thought be about Amy. Beautiful, smart, kind Amy. The way she smiled at him. The way she tucked her hair behind her ears. The way she kissed him. The way he loved her like he never thought he could love someone. He could feel tears falling down his face that had nothing to do with the bullet wound in his leg. He imagined Amy in front of him, hands on his cheeks, thumbs wiping them away as he looked into her eyes one final time.

“Nine-Nine!” He yelled and turned the wheel sharply to swing the car off the road and into the trees that lined it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not completely happy with this one but I hope its OK. It's probably obvious that Figgis would head to the airport but I kinda wanted to write the hospital scene with Amy and Rosa and the guy she shot. Next chapter might be a few weeks away as I am currently preparing for some new job interviews and have entered a writing comp which starts tomorrow which I have never done before so we'll see how that goes! Anyways, I'll stop rambling now. As always, thanks for reading :)


	4. Every Second Is A Second Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Amy and Rosa find Jake in time?

The crunch of metal.

The smell of gasoline.

Amy cupping his face.

Glass breaking.

A parking lot.

Blood.

Jake’s memory was in fragments. Bits and pieces flashing through his mind in a jumbled mess. He was a good enough detective to interpret the clues and realise what had happened, but he couldn’t get his eyes to open to confirm it. Since when did lifting his eyelids become such a strenuous task? He couldn’t string his thoughts together in a way that made sense. Everything was mixed up and in the wrong order. He was in a dizzying world of blackness and incomplete recollections. Jake just wanted it to stop but his damn eyes would still not open. Perhaps if he tried to feel what was around him. But he found he couldn’t move his arms either. He was starting to panic now. He had no control over his body and his mind was in pieces. What mess had he gotten himself into this time? 

He was trapped and thinking about it was causing his panic to rise. The more anxious he became the more his body responded by gulping in more air. The heavy breaths made his chest sting and once he was aware of that pain, he became aware of the rest of it. His leg was burning with a sharp white-hot pain, his head was banging with a dull constant pressure and Jake couldn’t tell if it was from an injury or from the inside of mind as he tried to make sense of things. He could feel liquid dripping down his head, his torso, his leg. He could smell metal and smoke and iron and sweat. Eventually the heavy breaths and the pain became too much and his body gave up on him entirely, fading all his senses until he wasn’t thinking or feeling anything at all.

~B99~

The two detectives had lapsed into silence. Every second they spent on the road was a second closer to Jake but the longer they spent driving the more it started to feel like they would never catch up. Amy kept the mantra going in her head – every second is a second closer, every second is a second closer. Without it, and without Rosa by her side, she knew she would start the feel hopeless, useless, despaired. So, she repeated it over and over, waiting for the second that she would see Jake again. 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive for a bit?” Rosa asked her companion.

“I’m ok. It’s helping me to feel focused I think. Like I’m doing something.” It suddenly dawned on Amy that Rosa might be feeling the same way. “Unless you want to drive?”

“I’m good. I have other ways of keeping focused.” Rosa returned to her position staring out the passenger window. In her mind she was beating the crap out of Figgis while Jake sat safely behind her, protected from any further harm. 

~B99~

When Jake regained consciousness for the second time everything hit him at once. The first time, it had been a slow descent into regaining his senses and feelings, until they had eventually overwhelmed him. This time, the instant pain threatened to do the same thing but he grit his teeth and managed to hold on to what little consciousness he had. His thoughts were a little clearer this time. Rummaging through them was like wading through a fog but at least they seemed to be in order this time and not in little fragments. 

Jake was sweating and bleeding and broken but he pushed himself though the fog to fill in all the blanks that had led him to his current state.

The parking lot.

Amy in the rear-view mirror.

A gun twisting in his thigh.

A sharp turn of a wheel.

The bonnet crumpling.

His head colliding with something.

Figgis.

Figgis. The missing piece his brain had not provided him with last time. He was the cause of everything Jake was feeling right now. Figgis did this to him. But there was something niggling at Jake, right at the back of his brain, telling him that wasn’t entirely true.

“This is your fault Jake! For once could you not be so reckless?!” Jake heard Amy in his head, voicing his own thoughts, her words edged with tears. “You should be dead right now.”

She was right. How was he still alive? He had made peace with his decision, prepared himself with his last thoughts and somehow he was still here. He felt like all the energy has been sapped from his body and the pain was slowly turning to a distant numbness but he was still here. And if that was the case, he could still get back to Amy. 

With that thought urging him on he tried to open his eyes again. They felt as if they were glued together and then sewn up for good measure but he managed to pry them open, using that 99 determination to push through. When he finally opened them, he thought he was blind. Everything still looked black.

“Don’t panic yet Jake.” He told himself. “Just give it time.”

While he waited for his vision to focus, he tried to become more aware of his surroundings. He couldn’t hear much but all the smells from earlier were back. Metal, iron, sweat. The crushing sensation on his chest was back as well. Every time he took a breath it worsened. But it wasn’t just the breaths that were causing the pain. It was something solid pinned against his chest. The steering wheel. Jake’s chest was trapped against the steering wheel, exacerbating his body’s struggle to breathe.

“You need to move Jake. You won’t be able to breathe effectively in this position for much longer. Come on Jake. You can do it.” Amy was back again, but with less yelling this time. Jake appreciated that. “I believe in you.”

Jake was vaguely aware that he may be going mad but he let dream-Amy urge him on nonetheless. He put all the energy he had left into focusing his eyes. It was slowly becoming clearer around the edges and shapes were appearing. He blinked a few times and the sight before him caused him to draw in a breath of horror. 

He was face to face with Figgis. Hollow, staring, fixed eyes were gazing back at Jake where he lay, head rested on the steering wheel. There were rivulets of blood dripping down his face and his hand was resting on Jake’s thigh where it had dropped in his final attempt to grab the steering wheel. Jake’s heart began to race and the panic was back. He struggled to get away from the figure in front of him and managed to push himself back off the steering wheel slightly. The small movement caused a wave of dizziness and nausea so powerful that Jake’s body dropped again. With the little strength he had left he forced himself away from Figgis. His body fell to the left and slumped against the driver’s door. Jake found himself unable to keep his eyes open any longer and he gave in to the blackness again. This time, though, it was with a modicum of hope as Amy whispered into his ear that she was coming for him.

~B99~

Rosa had felt the car slowly pick up speed over the last few minutes so she glanced down at the speedometer. Yep, Amy was definitely starting to freak out again if their speed was anything to go by.

“Everything alright Amz?”

Rosa’s concerns were met with silence which only raised the red flag higher.

“Amy?”

“Hmmm?”

“You ok?”

Amy looked over at Rosa with tired eyes. She was trying so damn hard to stay focused but her mantra could only take her so far. She missed Jake, she needed him to be ok., and she needed him back in her arms where he was safe. 

“Rosa we’ve been driving for too long. We’ve seen nothing. Nobody’s radioed in over an hour with any useable information or update. What if we’re just driving further away from him? W-what if they’re not even on the road anymore? They could be anywhere.” Her emotions were starting to get the better of her again and she willed them to stay inside until it was safe to let them out.

“You meticulously planned this out Amy. And I know how brilliant you are at taking control of these situations and making a plan. That’s how I know we’ll find Jake.” Rosa comforted. “It’s what’s keeping me going.” 

Amy offered Rosa a small smile at the reassurance. It was a comfort to know her friend believed in her and that she had a small part to play in comforting Rosa as well, even if she could only manage to do it through her work right now.

When Amy looked back towards the road she noticed the headlights had caught a glint off something ahead. She squinted and managed to see the silver shine in the distance.

“Rosa!” She nodded her head towards the gleam and kept her eyes fixed on it as the shape became clearer. 

The closer they got the more Amy’s stomach began to churn. Her breath caught in her throat when they were close enough to see that it was a car. Figgis’ car.

It was off the side of the road, hood crumpled against a tree. There were scattered bits of glass and metal on the ground which also shone in the headlights. 

“Oh god. Jake.” Amy whispered under her breath. She pulled the car over and slammed the hand break on. In her rush to get out she forgot she had her seatbelt on, so it slammed her back into the seat when she tried to get out. Her hands were shaking as she tried, unsuccessfully, to unlock the buckle.

“God damn it! Come on!” She yelled as she tried to undo the belt that was restricting her. Rosa, ever the saviour, leant over and clicked the button for her. She had never exited a vehicle so quickly and before she knew it Amy was running towards the car screaming Jake’s name. Waiting for him to answer her call.

She ran up to the closest door, the driver’s side, eager to see get into the car as fast as possible. From outside the vehicle, she couldn’t sense any movement from within, a fact she couldn’t let herself dwell on. She grabbed the handle and wrenched the door open, desperate to make contact with Jake. If she saw Figgis first she didn’t know what she’d do. But the open door revealed a slumped figure with dishevelled black hair who slipped out of the car and into her arms. She caught him before he could hit the ground and lowered him slowly until she was on her knees.

“Oh my god. Jake? Jake! Jake!” She couldn’t stop saying his name. Tears streamed down her face as she stroked his, willing him to open his eyes and answer her. He was covered in blood. One of his eyes was swollen. She didn’t want to know about the rest of his injuries, but she still let her eyes drift from his face and down his body. There was a huge red stain on his right thigh and it looked like his ankle was still caught under the crumpled dashboard. She didn’t want to let her gaze linger too long in case he opened his eyes and she missed it so she brought her focus back up to his face and kept trying to wake him.

“Jake. Wake up for me. You can open your eyes now.”

He remained unmoving in her arms.

“I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” Amy repeated as she kept her hands cupping his face, hoping he could somehow hear and feel her there.

Behind her she could hear Rosa on the radio calling it in. For once, Amy was glad she didn’t have to deal with any of the practicalities of the situation. She could just hold Jake and be there when he woke up. Because he was going to wake up. He was going to wake up and look up at her with those big eyes and goofy smile and tell her that everything was OK now. 

Which is was. Everything was OK now. She’d found Jake. He was here. She was with him. She was holding him. Everything was OK. So why hadn’t he opened his eyes yet? Amy sobbed as the dark thought crept into her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry on two counts, maybe three. 1) I'm sorry it took me so long to update, 2) I did intend to finish this after 4 chapters but seems I still have one left in me... Maybe it won't take me as long to update the last chapter?? and 3) I kinda left that on a similar cliffhanger to last time so apologies for that as well. Thanks for still sticking with me x


	5. Tougher Than He Looks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone tries to not break down.

Amy’s memory was usually a steel trap when it came to retaining information but at the moment it felt more like a sieve. 

She was back in the car with Rosa, sitting in the passenger seat this time. Where was Jake? She should be with Jake. The memory of him slipping out of the car door, covered in blood, flashed before her eyes. For a moment she wondered if it really was a memory or, instead, her tendency to imagine the worst-case scenario for any situation. The detective squeezed her eyes shut trying to force the image away before opening them again. If she needed a push to convince herself that this situation was real, her blood covered hands and blouse were more than enough to do it.

“Rosa? Where’s Jake? We should be with him. Where is he?” Panic was rising within her as she stared at the blood on her hands; as she thought about the image of Jake, unconscious in her arms. Her brain seemed to have lost the ability to focus on anything except his still form and a feeling of absolute dread and despair. 

“He’s right in front of us Amy. Look up.”

Amy managed to lift her eyes from her hands to see the ambulance, sirens blaring, right in front of their car. It was as if she’d just tuned in all the noise around her. They, too, had the sirens on and Rosa was keeping as close to the vehicle in front as she dared, not wanting to be a second longer behind Jake than they had to be.

“I should be in there. He needs me. He needs us.” Tears threatened to begin spilling again but Amy took a breath and tried to hold them in. In supressing this emotion her anger rose to the surface instead. “Why aren’t we in there Rosa? What if something happens?”

“I’m sorry we couldn’t be in there Amz. I’ll make sure we see him as soon as we get there.” Rosa was determined to take charge of the situation now and take care of her friends. There was no way she was letting herself fall apart until all of this was over, so she gripped the wheel and did not take her eyes off the vehicle in front.

“I’ve ridden in ambulances with Jake before, Rosa. What aren’t you telling me? Why aren’t we in there?” Amy was getting frustrated. It was like everything that happened after Jake fell into her arms was a giant blur and she kept getting stuck coming back to that image and nothing would come after it.

Rosa chanced a glimpse over at Amy and wondered what was going on inside that head. Did she really not remember what had just happened? Because Rosa would never forget, and she had no idea whether reminding Amy what had happened was the best thing to do or not. Her friend was going to tear herself apart if she couldn’t piece her memory together. On the other hand, having this memory back would not ease her thoughts or calm her at all. The usually stoic detective was at a loss for how to handle this and with a lack of any better idea she decided upon the truth. 

“Jake was pretty banged up, Amz. He was still out of it when the paramedics arrived. They had to pry him from your grip in order to work on him. And – and then we were standing there, together, watching them load him onto the gurney and into the ambulance, and he…” Rosa trailed off unsure how to complete the sentence without betraying how worried and lost she really felt. 

“He what?” Amy whispered after a beat of silence. “He what, Rosa!?” 

“And his – his heart s-stopped beating so they had to shock him b-but they got him back, ok. They got him back, Amz. And then you were running at him and they were telling you that you couldn’t get in the back with him and I swear you nearly punched the guy.” Rosa looked over to give Amy a small watery smile at this. “They wanted some extra paramedics in the back for the ride in so they told us to follow them. It was just a precaution, so they can give him the best care possible. He’s tough Amy. Tougher than he looks. He’ll be fine.”

Amy felt numb. That can’t have happened. How could she not remember something like that? Not feel the difference in a world without Jake’s heartbeat in it?

“Amz, did you hear me? He’ll be fine. We got him back.” Rosa kept repeating. She looked over at her friend who had the same blank look on her face as she did back at the crash site. It was like her brain had stopped computing any further bad news about Jake. Maybe Rosa made a mistake in telling her. Maybe Amy needed to forget some of it. She knew the pair had vastly different ways of processing grief so this must just be one way in which they diverge. 

Was that really what they were doing though? Processing grief? No, they were not grieving yet and Rosa reprimanded herself for even having the thought. Jake was right there, right in front of them, and he was going to be fine. She pressed down on the gas pedal before realising she couldn’t go any faster. 

~B99~

They reached the hospital in what felt like hours but was only minutes. Amy leapt out of the car before it had even stopped moving and ran up to the back of the ambulance as the paramedics opened the doors and wheeled Jake out.

“I’m here Jake. I’m here.” She yelled as she ran along beside him. They went through the doors of the ED and did not stop running. Amy didn’t know where they were going but she was determined to follow Jake wherever it was.

“Ma’am I’m sorry, you can’t go further than this.” A nurse in pale blue scrubs walked up to her and placed a hand gently on her arm. “He needs urgent surgery. I know you want to be with him but he needs this as soon as possible.”

Amy’s hand gripped the railing on the gurney. She didn’t want to let go and leave Jake alone. Logically she knew he needed the surgery, but she’d only seen him for a few seconds. It wasn’t enough. She needed to drink him in and know that he was still here.

“Please, please c-can I have a moment?”

The nurse locked eyes with her and then gave the rest of the staff a nod.

“Ok. One moment.”

Amy walked up the side of the gurney, so she was standing beside Jake’s face. A tear slipped down her cheek and landed on the pillow under his head.

“Jake, I love you. See you on the other side.” She kissed his forehead and finally released her grip on the moving bed as they wheeled him away.

~B99~

It had been several hours and still no news. The crew had all arrived and gathered in the waiting room. Amy had been pacing the entire time, not wanting to sit and be still, with nothing to do but focus on the waiting. Why had it been so long? Was that a good sign or a bad sign? It must mean there was a lot to fix which meant more chances for things to go wrong. Or maybe something had gone wrong and that’s why it had been this long. She couldn’t quite catch her breath as her thoughts continued to spiral.

“Hey there Amz,” Rosa was suddenly in front of her. Reaching both her hands out to Amy’s shoulders. “Just breathe. Here, let’s take a seat.” She guided her down into the closest seat and Amy leant forwards trying to regain a normal breathing rhythm.

“It’s taking too long.” Amy whispered.

“It’ll take as long as it takes, ok. It doesn’t mean anything has gone wrong. They’ll tell us as soon as they know anything.” Based on the look Amy gave when she raised her head up Rosa amended, “Maybe I’ll go and check, see if there’s any news for you.”

“Wait – Rosa – w-wait.” As Rosa got up to leave, Amy reached an arm up to pull her back down. A question had just popped into her mind. Something she hadn’t thought of since pulling up to that crumpled car on the side of the road. If she couldn’t help Jake while he was in surgery, maybe there was something else she could do. Her blood began to boil as she sunk into her thoughts.

“Where’s Figgis?” She grit out. “Where is that bastard? If anything happens to Jake I’m going to – ”

“You won’t need to.” Rosa cut her off.

“What?”

“You don’t need to worry about Figgis anymore.” Rosa replied like her friend wasn’t about to say she was going to murder someone.

“What, w-what do you mean? What happened? Did you …?”

The two stared at each other for a moment. Each realising what the other was willing to do for Jake and forever bonded by it.

“He was dead when we got there Amy. He died in the crash.”

Amy wasn’t sure how she felt about this. She had all this energy and she wanted to use it to yell at someone, punch someone. She wanted to look him in the eye and threaten him and make him wish he had never gone after Jake. Because when you go after Jake you go after Amy as well. She wanted to be the one who got rid of Figgis for good – and by that she was pretty sure she meant jail. 

Her thoughts had been scaring her regarding what she might do upon seeing Figgis. Maybe it was for the best she wouldn’t be able to act upon them. She could focus on Jake now and not waste a second more on that evil man. Aside from the time it took to take down his entire operation, of course. But that would just be unbelievably satisfying detective work, nothing murderous or questionable. She knew the rest of the 99 would want to be a part of it as well. Especially Jake, when he was better. In fact, probably before then knowing him. The thought of Jake back at work managed to put a small but genuine smile on Amy’s face.

~B99~

Jake was slumped in the front seat of a car. His body felt so heavy. He looked down and all he could see was blood and darkness. He looked out the driver’s side window. Blackness. As if the world around him had faded away. All that remained was him and the car. It was hard to take a breath and he couldn’t move without immense amounts of pain.

_“Jake?”_

He could hear a distant voice calling to him. One that he’d recognise anywhere.

_“Jake? Come back to me Jake.”_

He wanted so badly to go to her but his muscles ached with every move and a sharp sting shot down his right leg when he tried to move it.

_“You can do it Jake. Just move. Get out of the car.”_

He managed to get his left hand onto the doorhandle and let the door swing open. Even just moving his hand had been excruciating. How was he going to get himself out of the car? Plus, what would he be stepping out into? There was nothing but blackness out there. Would it just swallow him up? Jake tried to shake the doubt from his head. It was Amy that was calling after all. She wouldn’t ask him to do anything that would hurt him.

_“Don’t give up Jake. You can do it. Get out of the car.”_

Determined, he used his left hand to push himself up a bit so he was able to swing both legs around to the side. His head swam with the effort and he had to sit for a minute, panting, trying to catch his breath. 

_“I’m here Jake, I’m not going anywhere.”_

A wave of nausea passed through him. It seemed a wound had re-opened in his thigh, causing more blood to flow down his leg.

_“I believe in you Jake. You’re stronger than you think. You can do it.”_

With Amy’s guidance he braced for the pain and launched himself up onto his feet, left hand gripping the seat and right hand clutching the door frame. As soon as his feet hit the ground, light surrounded him and engulfed the car, the darkness and Jake himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh I am such a liar! These chapters just keep on coming! Just to explain myself a bit - when I first outlined this I only had ideas for 4 chapters planned but my stream of consciousness keeps getting the better of me. Anyways, another one down! I'm like 98% sure the next one will be the last. Thanks for bearing with me and still reading even though I am terrible at updating and planning ahead (a quality I assure you applies not just to my writing hehe)


	6. I'm Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is the nightmare finally over? The gang wait to find out.

“Family of Jake Peralta?” The doctor walked into the waiting room and was immediately descended upon by a crowd of people. 

Amy rushed to his side. The others immediately got up from their seats and followed suit. She was too scared to ask the question she was dying to know the answer to. She could feel Boyle sniffling beside her and even Rosa hadn’t been able to keep her emotions in check after the fifth hour of waiting. It was the Captain who spoke up eventually.

“How is he?” To an outsider it would have sounded like an innocent question, like asking about the weather. But Amy could tell it was not the Captain’s normal tone, betraying the concern for his surrogate son. 

“He lost a lot of blood, both from the gunshot wound and the injuries he sustained in the accident …”

Amy became lost again. Everything was hazy as the doctor talked about blood and fractures, cuts and wounds. Had he answered the question? It seemed like an endless list of things that were wrong with Jake. Amy was trying so hard to concentrate. She could hear blood rushing in her ears and feel her breath caught in her chest as she strained to catch the words she needed to hear.

“… It’s going to take some time but he should make a full recovery. I’ll let you know when he’s settled in ICU and you can go see him.”

The feeling in the room immediately changed. Boyle, who had also been holding his breath the entire time, fainted. Terry stooped down to check on him as he rubbed his eyes clear of tears, relieved for his friend. Hitchcock and Scully resumed eating, having not yet touched the four hot dogs, two bags of crisps and two pizzas they had brought to the waiting room. Gina took off the jacket she was wearing, threw it in the bin and put her ‘Time for Gina’s opinion’ hoodie back on. She hadn’t worn it since she almost hit Jake with the truck. The Captain turned around to face the wall, wiped his hand over his face and muttered thank god, before attempting to recompose himself and turn back around. Seeing everyone’s reactions made him realise how much the team really cared for one another and he had to sit down before that made him emotional all over again.

Amy stood there while all of this was happening, having not fully absorbed the news yet.

“He’s going to be OK?” She looked to her side where Rosa was.

“Yes. He’s going to be OK Amy. He’s going to need some time but he’s going to be OK.”

Amy finally let the full weight of it hit her and she let all the tears she was holding back come out in relief. Rosa caught her in a hug and lowered them into the chairs again. With her arms around Amy she kept repeating the phrase over and over, with more confidence than when it had just been reassurance. “He’s alive Amy. He’s OK. He’s OK.”

Amy could not get enough of the words. She let them rush over her until she almost believed them. There was only one missing piece now. She needed to hold Jake, to feel him, and then she would believe this nightmare was over.

~B99~

A bright light shone beyond his eyelids and Jake could hear a rhythmic beeping. Rather irritating really. There was something familiar about the tone. Oh no, Amy’s fifth morning alarm. He must be really late for work if alarm number 5 was going off. He should really open his eyes and crawl out of bed. Except he felt like he’d been asleep for a month and still needed a month more of rest. His body felt so heavy. It wasn’t normally this bad when the alarm woke him instead of waking naturally. He must have had quite the night last night. What had he got up to? Drinks with Boyle? Working a case until late? He couldn’t quite remember.

Wow, there must have been alcohol involved. It had been a while since he couldn’t remember a night out. Alright Jake, you did this to yourself – time to get out of bed and face the music. The alarm was still beeping – did it have to go on like that? Did it normally go for that long? Well at least it was incentive to get out of bed and turn it off. With that goal in mind he began to pry his eyes open.

Light poured into his retinas, whiting out his vision for a while. A figure in front of him was slowly taking shape as his vision began to swim back into focus. He could see Amy’s head on his lap in front of him. She was asleep, hair tussled out over his legs, facing towards him as her head rested on the side of the bed. Both of her hands were still clutching one of his. What was she still doing here? She was normally up hours before Jake. And why was she sleeping like that? She looked so uncomfortable.

Jake tried to reach his hand up to stroke some bits of fallen hair out of her face but he found he couldn’t move his arms. What was happening? The edges of the room started to come more into focus. There were white sheets and white walls. This wasn’t their room.

Jake felt panic begin to rise and felt an odd sense of deja vu in relation to the feeling. An image flashed into his mind of a similar struggle in the dark. He’d woken up in a panic like this before. The rhythmic beeping was becoming more frantic, filling his ears, surrounding him with noise. Where was he? Why could he hardly remember anything and why did his body feel so heavy? Just as his panic began to rise even further, something moved in front of him and caught his attention. Amy was looking at him, she was mouthing something he couldn’t quite hear over the headache and the noise.

She looked worried and he wanted to tell her not to be. He could feel her hands in his and it gave him strength and comfort. He tried to focus on only Amy and wash out all the other noises. He hoped she would keep talking to him even if he still had no idea what she was saying. He tried his best to look her in the eyes and convey all the love he could minus the confusion and panic. Eventually he was able to catch some words.

“You’re OK…..hospital…safe…I’m here.”

Jake put all his energy into squeezing Amy’s hand to make sure she was really there. Because, honestly, there was only one part of that sentence he cared about. Amy was beside him, and that was all that mattered.

~B99~

_Amy was holding Jake’s broken body in her arms. The way he slid out of the car door, completely boneless, eyes closed made her heart stick in her throat. She kept yelling his name, knowing that he wasn’t going to respond. Then suddenly there was a tug at her hand; the softest touch. There was no other detectable movement and Amy thought maybe she imagined it but then he squeezed again._

_“Jake? Jake?....”_

Amy woke with a start. It took her a moment to get her bearings and realise she was in the hospital, sleeping beside Jake. As the remnants or her dream began to slip away, one element remained. Jake was squeezing her hand. She had to stare at their entwined hands for her to fully believe it, but he was definitely squeezing.

“Oh my god, Jake? Jake?” The monitors were starting to beat beyond their usual rhythmic tone indicating Jake’s heart rate was rising. “Jake, it’s ok. You’re ok. You’re in the hospital. You’ve been asleep for a while but you’re safe now. You’re safe. I’m here.”

She reached her right hand up to card through his hair and stroke down the side of his face, wanting to touch every part of him that she could. Her left remained in his hand where he was still periodically squeezing.

She knew she needed to give Jake some time to adjust and fully wake up. It took all her effort not to shake him and tell him to sit up, tell her a joke, wrap his arms around her. He was looking around like he was still piecing everything together, but his eyes always came back to hers.

“It’s OK Jake. I’m not going anywhere.” She stopped caressing his face for a moment and picked up the hand that was holding hers to place a kiss on it. When she looked back up his eyes were so focused on hers; so thoughtful and intense. Gosh, how she had missed them. “I thought m-maybe I’d never get to see those eyes again. Feel the way I feel when you look at me.” The tears were starting again. “I don’t know what I would have done … ”

Amy looked down and tried to shake the tears from her eyes. This isn’t what Jake needed right now. Before she could look up again, she felt a hand in her hair, tucking it behind her ear.

She looked up to see Jake’s smile. His hand moving gently through her hair before dropping again with exhaustion. She could see the spark in his eye returning and thought maybe a witty one liner was coming. How she had missed those as well. But his first words were the best one liner she could have asked for.

“I love you, so much.” He managed to struggle out. He had so many questions but somehow they paled in comparison to being able to say this to the woman he loved.

“I love you too.” She choked out. She smiled over at him and was finally able to settle into the feeling that everything was actually going to be OK. There was a long road ahead of them but Jake was beside her, and that was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh I actually finished it! Thanks to everyone who has been reading this, I know the updates have been few and far between so I appreciate everyone who has given this story a read even when it was unfinished!


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